Friday, May 11, 2012

Friday Monkey Dacker - They're Doing Better Than Me

The orangutans at Miami’s Jungle Island apparently are just like people when it comes to technology. The park is one of several zoos experimenting with computers and apes, letting its six orangutans use an iPad to communicate and as part of a mental stimulus program. Linda Jacobs, who oversees the program, hopes the devices will eventually help bridge the gap between humans and the endangered apes.

“Our young ones pick up on it. They understand it. It’s like, ‘Oh I get this,’” Jacobs said. “Our two older ones, they just are not interested. I think they just figure, ‘I’ve gotten along just fine in this world without this communication-skill here and the iPad, and I don’t need a computer.’”

Right now, I'm wrestling with our IPad, trying to get songs and pictures synced on it so we can take it on a trip and listen to music and have pictures to blog with (no, not my while library). I hate the Apple structure; it takes away the control over files I'm accustomed to having in Winders. I hate feeling like an old dog.